Someone Else's Summer

by Rachel Bateman

Anna's always idolized her older sister, Storm. So when Storm dies in a tragic car accident on the night of her high school graduation, Anna is completely lost and her family is torn apart. That is, until she finds Storm's summer bucket list and decides to honor her sister by having the best summer ever--which includes taking an epic road trip to the coast from her sleepy Iowa town. Setting out to do everything on Storm's list along with her sisters best friend Cameron--the boy next door--who knew that Storm's dream summer would eventually lead to Anna's own self-discovery?

• ISBN10: 0762462191
• ISBN13: 9780762462193
• Publish Date: 25 May 2017 (first published 9 May 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 17 December 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Running Press,U.S.
• Imprint: Running Press Kids
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[readingwithwrin]

"I should have known right away. That's the way it always happens in movies- there's intuition, a feeling deep in the gut. I had none of that, just a mild irritation at whoever was calling... Then my world ended with Mom's ear-breaking scream."

Anna's big sister Storm dies in a car crash one night on her way home from a graduation party. This leaves Anna, her parents, and her best friend Cameron in shock, they all deal with the grief differently. The parents become super protective of Anna in order to keep anything from happening to her. While Anna just feels alone and regrets having grown apart from Storm. One day she finds a list her sister made of things to do that summer. It reminds Anna of the good times they had when they were kids.

"1. Watch the sunrise
2. take pictures of everything
3. get a tattoo
4. go inside a lighthouse
5. Meet my soulmate (cross out) Fall in Love
6. go skinny dipping
7. Kiss in the rain
8. put a secret in a balloon & let it fly away
9. road trip!
10. Crash a wedding
11. Go to a dive-in movie
12. Speak in a British accent all day
13. Sleep in the UNCW dorms
14. go parasailing
15. Be brave with my life"
Anna wants to do everything on the list, even if some of them don't make sense to her, and there's only one person she knows she can ask to go on this adventure with her Cameron. Cameron knew Storm better than anyone else, and because of that he also knows a secret about Storm that could ruin the whole trip.

"So, he waited. He went with you on this crazy journey to work through what happened and waited to tell you the truth. Maybe he waited too long, but I can see why he did. I bet if you really think about it, you can see why, too."

Overall I really enjoyed this summer road trip. Anna and Cameron made a pretty good team, most of the time. Cameron kept her on track with the list and explained things she didn't understand why were on the list. Anna remembered the good times they all used to have together and contemplated what her future would be like, she knew she didn't just want to be a cheerleader anymore, and she wanted to find something else that she really liked and could see herself doing, but she was also afraid of what that would mean.
As for the whole Cameron/Anna relationship, I saw it happening almost immediately. But I didn't really care for it, and I actually found myself getting annoyed with both of them because of it. I did understand why Cameron kept the secret from her and I don't blame him for doing so, that's a big thing to have to tell someone, especially someone you care about and know is going to be hurt by it.
I am interested in reading another of Bateman's books, because her writing did make me feel like I was right there with them on the road trip.

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[Kim Deister]

This book... I had a bit of a book hangover after finishing it. It is a beautifully written story with amazing characters and all the feels.

Anna's older sister Storm is killed on the night of her high school graduation. Their parents fall apart, turning to each other in their grief. Anna is left to work through her pain on her own. Until she discovers her sister's bucket list. That list becomes both a gift and a curse as she works her way through it in honor of her sister. But she doesn't do it alone. She does it with Storm's best friend Cameron, the boy who lives next door that she's known for most of her life.

The story is emotionally charged as it explores the journey of grief, self-discovery, change, friendship, acceptance, and secrets that can be devastating to learn. This is a story that will, at times, leave your heart shredded. But before your tears dry, there will be a funny moment that will bring a smile to your face.

At first, her mother's total lack of compassion for Anna's grief was horrifying to me. I just didn't understand how a mother could be that blind to the grief of her child that she would go so far as to send her to her room for expressing it. But as we learn more, it becomes easier to understand. Her mother is broken, shut down. She has nothing to give her daughter in the way of support. Everyone reacts differently to grief... that is a reality. And what was initially hard for me to accept became something I truly applaud. The author showed grief in its raw reality... messy, painful, hurtful, and impossible to navigate cleanly.

[Sam@WLABB]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. When I first started reading Someone Else's Summer I wasn't sure about the book, but as Bateman took us to the heart of the story (The List), the story started moving in the right direction, and I kept wanting to read a little more each time I needed to stop.

This story is about Anna. She is grieving the loss of her sister, who tragically died in a car accident the night of her high school graduation. As Anna and her parents are struggling with their grief, Anna finds one of Storm's infamous lists. This one outlined her plans for the summer. Anna and Storm's best friend, Cameron, embark on a road trip to complete the list. As they tick off each item on the list, Anna learns more about herself, and her sister, who she always idolized.

The road trip was so much fun, and revealed how awesome Cameron was. He was not perfect, but gosh darn it, he was pretty close. Anna was fairly shallow and flawed at the beginning of the book, but her better side was revealed and she grew a lot during the trip. It was like Storm was still being the big sister, guiding Anna on her path through this list, as each task made Anna reflect on her life. There were a ton of special moments.

At the end, there is what some may say is a plot twist, but it was a suspicion of mine the entire time. That did not make it have any less impact. Tears still welled in my eyes, but I liked what Bateman did there, because it made more sense.

He hands the book to me, and I take it, but don't open it. It's the story of a summer, of a life, of a death. I'll treasure it, look back on it in the future with fondness, remembering the list that changed everything.

Overall: very heartfelt story of loss and healing with a charming romance stuck in there.